Why is it better to take your shoes off at home?

The Japanese have always done it, but do you know why it’s good also for us, Westerners? Shoes have become an irreplaceable accessory not only to survive in an urban environment, but also for fashion and trend-following needs; whoever’s not home all day keeps them for multiple hours a day, but we’re going to explain why taking them off when you’re at home is worth it.

1. Bacteria The first reason to leave your shoes off at home is the presence of bacteria, that we risk to drag within our home: according to a study conducted by the University of Arizona- 421 thousand bacteria may lurk on the outside of a shoe, including e. coli which can cause serious infections, Klebsiella pneumonia, and also responsible for major lung diseases and serratia ficaria, capable of causing major eye infections.

2. Pesticides Even herbicides and pesticides, used in gardening and farming, could be carried inside the safe-environment of our home through our shoes, exposing us and our loved ones to health risks. The long-term presence of the substances brought in with our shoes means that even low concentrations of heavy metals such as lead, coming from the outside world, they can build up and stay on the floor surface for long amounts of time.

It’s better to take your shoes off at home (and it can be fun)

3. House contamination It is fairly obvious, as well, that not leaving your shoes you used all day outside of the house, increase the amount of dirt and pollution in your home. Leaving remains on the surface of floors and carpets, and it also forces us to use more detergents and energy to clean up the mess left behind. Also debris trapped in the soles of the shoes can leave marks and lines on wood flooring, parquet and tiles, and fasten the wear of carpets.

4. Noise For those who live in an apartment complex, we have to take noise and nuisance into consideration, and it can be caused by the clatter of the heels on the floor surface.

5. Relaxation and wellness Finally, well being and convenience can lead us to the decision to drop the shoes off at the door: on a clean surface you can afford walking barefooted or with socks on for the beneficial effects for the leg and foot muscles of the foot and the reduction in formation of corns and calluses. But then again it’s enough just to get rid of the shoes when you come back home after a long day, sit back on the couch and relax.

Even if you have guests coming over, take your shoes off when you enter, it’s pleasent to walk home barefooted or with socks slip; otherwise, get clean shoes just for in-house wear.

Both the Japanese and Nordic people have been doing it for centuries, leaving their shoes in a separate entrance area before entering the house and even in the far-East people have an alternative pair of slippers for the different areas of the apartment. If you choose to ignore all the points we made, consider bookmarking the article if you’re visiting Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia, Japan and countless other countries around the globe.